Le Desespoir: The Cursed Paradise

The Tombs

The wind blew softly outside. Colorful plants, trees and shrubs were everywhere. He didn't know exactly where he was in the estate but he could still see the monstrous house in the distance. He had woken up earlier than his brother again, so he decided to take a walk after fixing breakfast. To make sure that he wouldn't get lost, he just followed a straight footpath on the right side of the house.

A week had passed swiftly. The brothers spent the days, going from room to room, trying to see what lay inside. It was as if they were treasure hunting which seemed fun. Within those days though, Austin discovered a lot of things about his older brother who seemed to be very energetic like a little kid.

The first impression that he had of Jerome was that the other man was hard to get along with. Their father had been such a cold bastard, so he had thought that since his older brother grew up with the old man, he would be one too— but he was wrong.

During the times they had spent together, Austin found out that Jerome was a very caring person, and he really wanted to get to know him more. He was also a kind man, although a little bit pushy. He had taught Austin some French too, and in a span of a week, the younger man had already somewhat grasped an understanding of the language, though he still couldn't speak much.

His mother had been right about his brother. Rachel Jamieson had always said that Jerome had more of his mother in him than his father in terms of personality, and even in features. Austin, who was the one born on the wrong side of the marriage bed, looked more like a Dassonneville than his older brother did.

Since the first night they had stayed there in Le Désespoir, Austin had been having weird dreams about the beautiful girl which made him space out a lot. His brother, thinking that he was probably missing his mother, tried to cheer him up.

Jerome even let him borrow his mobile phone so he could talk to his mom— and his brother had been totally embarrassed when the cell phone didn't work. There was no reception in the estate, and it seemed they had to go to town to make a phone call since there was also no telephone in the house.

Austin sighed. It was such a hassle since it took almost an hour to go back to town from there, and he didn't know how to drive. It would be bothersome to ask Jerome to take him there just for a phone call.

His mother knew they were okay anyway since they talked to her when they arrived in Paris. She seemed to do great— even sounding happy, telling him not to worry since his brother had gotten her a very good nurse, and a doctor who would really take care of her. He didn't know what to feel at that time when his mother talked to him, but somehow, he felt that his mother should have at least said she'd miss him.

Austin laughed at the thought. He was a very solemn boy, he knew. Growing up the way he did, he was forced to become an adult at an early age. Sometimes, though, he felt like wanting to be a brat.

He looked around the vast land. The estate was really huge, but the fact that it was also very beautiful was true. If there's a place he could describe as heaven, this would be it. He wondered now why the previous owners had named this place Le Désespoir. As he understood, the name meant 'the despair'.

A sound of twigs snapping made him turn around.

"Huh?" He saw nothing behind him except trees and flowers and…

Austin frowned.

A path…

He couldn't remember seeing that pathway when he passed by the area earlier. Curious, he decided to go and follow where it led.

Feeling a bit uneasy, he glanced around as he walked. There was nothing unusual that he noticed and so he continued. The grassy path turned stony as he progressed. The trail was a bit long and it became narrower and rockier as he neared the end, and then he stopped, his eyes widening as he inhaled sharply.

"Whoa!"

He laughed nervously as he looked around, his unease increasing every second. Before him were rows and rows of marble and granite tombs which differed in sizes and height. Some were broken; some had fences which had rusted in age; some had marble effigies of angels, of maidens carrying baskets of flowers, and there was one with a sleeping man who seemed to be a soldier.

Austin couldn't understand why, but he just found himself walking towards the statue of the man, and touching its cold surface as he read the inscriptions: Julian de Lancret, born November 11, 1825 – died December 25, 1860.

An unexplainable sadness clutched at his heart as he saw the name of the one who died.

"Poor guy," he murmured as he wondered how the man met his end.

He was still too young, thirty-five, he found out when he computed the years— not to mention that he died on Christmas day.

The warm summer breeze blew against his face, as if offering him comfort, and he smiled, the earlier unease completely leaving him. The rustling of the dried leaves on the ground made him turn to the tombstone next to the man. It was a simple tombstone made of black granite and he crouched over it so he could wipe the dirt over the writings.

Jehan de Lancret, born March 7, 1822 – died July 4, 1843, and Hannah Miller, born March 2, 1822 – died July 4, 1843. Below the names of the deceased was an inscription 'amour au-delà du temps' which meant "love beyond time".

Jehan…

Austin’s curiosity was piqued. The name sounded very familiar. He swallowed as he stared at the names again, and he tried to remember where he had heard or seen it.